The Impact of Rising Sea Levels on the Environment

Recently, global warming and our carbon footprint has caused our sea levels to rise a substantial amount, which harms the planet as it severely escalates the threat of extreme weather conditions

Rising sea levels shown in the picture above can cause the loss of habitat and flooding in residential areas. Image provided by Scientific American

We’re all familiar with the term “global warming.” But what exactly is it? Global warming, or climate change, refers to the average increase in air and sea temperatures on our planet. Global warming is directly caused by the increasing quantity of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases that accumulate to trap heat in the Earth’s atmosphere. It is mainly human activity that causes global warming, since most of our actions can directly influence the release of greenhouse gases into the air.

However, we’ve all noticed the extreme weather and natural disasters that people all over the globe are experiencing. In different regions, people suffer from an increased frequency of extreme weather, such as hurricanes, heatwaves, cold waves, heavy precipitation, drought, tornadoes and tropical cyclones. But the root of these issues stems directly from climate change. And because of climate change, we see an increase in sea levels, which causes these extreme weather events. It is said that the global average sea level has risen 8-9 inches since 1880. In 2023, the global average sea level was at an all-time high, 101.4 mm above sea levels in 1993.

So what exactly causes an increase in sea levels? Well for starters, glaciers and ice sheets all over the world are constantly melting, adding water to the ocean. Since the average temperature of the atmosphere has increased severely since the 19th century, it causes glaciers and ice sheets to melt and continue to add on to the rising sea levels.

Furthermore, rising sea levels are a direct result of thermal expansion, which is when the volume of the ocean is expanding as water temperatures increase. And since many people are depleting groundwater, there is a decline in the amount of liquid water on land, which increases sea levels as a result.

“Climate skeptics and deniers have often accused scientists of exaggerating the threat of climate change, but the evidence shows that not only have they not exaggerated, they have underestimated.” Dr. Michael Oppenheimer, a lead author of the SROCC chapter on sea level rise, said.

Climate change is a real issue and it deserves more recognition and awareness as it continues to affect our daily lives. As a society, we must carefully take into account the negative effects of climate change before it’s too late for the next few generations. To start, we can try to lower our carbon footprint by using less energy at home, walking, biking, or taking public transportation instead of using vehicles that cause pollution, throwing away less food, and recycling. Taking these steps can be a great start to a cleaner and brighter future for everyone.